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H; A. DIRKE S. BALLAST KEEL BOB. BOATS.

,896 Patented Apr 21, 1868.

Jay. 1

HENRY A. DIRKES; OF NEW YORK NI Y.

Letters Patent'No, 76,896, dated Ap il 21, 1868; mztcdiztezl April 7, 186 s,

mrnovsmsnr Ir BALLAST-KEELS r03 Boers;

7 this fittttnle ttfrtret we these-fitters 33mm ant mntiigqmt at the smut" TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN-z Be it known that I, HENRY DIRKES, of the city,'fcounty, audStute-of NewYork, have inrented hgnowj and useful Impro ement in Life-Boats, of. which the followingis a full, clear, nnd exact deseription, reference being hedto the acoc-mpzinyi'ng drawing, forming par-tofthis'sli ocifieotion, and inwhioh- Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudina'hand'transverse sections of a, hoot emhmcing my improvement. 7 .Similar-lettehs of reference indientecorresponding parts iii-both figures.

My invention consists in a combination, with the bull bf .11 boat, of a bhlilast keel, peculiarly hung- 'outl' operated, end wherehy,while it may be raised or lowered verti eally, with facility 'and dispatch, either to form an ordinary heel or to pr'ojeet deeper and to a vz'iriabl'e estont iuto the water, it is left: free to play longitudi daily, and rise or ride over .any obstruction it may 'eneountor in the sailing or benching of theplioag i'egardless of which end of the latter meyibe'forei'nost. I I

Referring to the: aeeompzrnying (ll-owing, A represents the hull ofn heat, which may n; mode of any unite-g.

I bio material, in compartments, or otherwise, and, asliFe-hoats arefusuolly construoted,-;sizeanl shone, It moyho fitted, though not her-e shown, with the 'usuztl attachments or appliances for storing and propulsion, nnd 'may either be used'as a. ship s boat or as a-life-boat, to ho'lnunehedfrom th'eshoro. B is the ballast-keel, preferably made of metal, and extending for the g1'cator proport ion of the lengt h of the bent. This keel is hung to rise andizilll rjertically, and so that it maybe set to oceupy various depths in or holds on the Wa ter, preferably extending at its lowest depth-hole, and sons to be ndetochment, as it were, from;thoughveonnected with, the bottom of the.

boot, to either the posit-ion of an ordinary heel, or so as ,to shut entirely up within the boot,'and leaving 'th e' bottom flush, which m'uy been :idvantage in heoohin'g or launching tlie-boirt"front thesllore. Fo'rthis end or 'these purposes, and togive a'freedom of: net-ion or adjustment,tog other with breaking-shook} in ease of the keel, when lowered, striking an obstruction, in the movement of'the-hoot, either end foremost, or allowing of:

the keel by n longitudinal .action oi' it to rise or 'rirle'over such ohs'taele, I' 'suspend said .keel to the boot by any suitable numberof toggle-joints,-C, pivoted at their tops 'to the-beater casing, fitted the same, w hie h easing hnay beenclosed at top, and connected at their lower ends to the 'keel, that, when roisodyehters or' shuts up. into said casing, through the longitudinal slot at, nmd'e inthe hottom'oi thebont. i

To raise orlower the heel by hand, and lock it in any piiirtieula'rset, rariouseontrivanees nmyhe'emp'loyed."

Thus the some may be effectedbyv. screw, D, eonneeted with the keel hy any suitable joint,or it may be done byraising' or lowering and locking end-chains E, or in any other woy'. that it may be vfound advan ageous" to adopt.

ent depths with facility and dispatch,fto prevent copsizing, and aid insteodyin glthe boat in-its course, may in.

A bzillast-heel, hung'and operated or operating as deserihed, while it may-he lowered rertieully to difl'er like manner, and with equal'facility, beraisod towithin the boot, with,.when lowererL-Treedom of play longitu'cli'nolly, as previously observed, in either or opposite directions, to bre'ak shoek,-:1nd nssist tho boat in rising or riding over an obstacle. The toggle-joints C also forth hrohd or stifi'en'ing side-braces to tliekeel.

-' What I here claim, and desire to secure by Letters=Patent, -is.

The Ballast-keel I], hung 'or' attached .tothc boat by toggle-joints- C; nud-operatingo r-operatedsubstawtially as described.

HENRY ALDIRKES. .Witnesses:

A. LE Guano, CHAS: H Asnror. 

